


Words

by spockandawe



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-09
Updated: 2012-12-09
Packaged: 2017-11-20 16:49:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spockandawe/pseuds/spockandawe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tahno is absolutely useless at flattery, but he needs to find a way to get his feelings across to Korra</p>
            </blockquote>





	Words

Tahno was never sure that her friends believed they wanted to be in a relationship. He couldn't help sniping at her whenever they were out, but she'd snap right back at him. Her friends would give them uneasy sideways looks, but the catty back-and-forth would last through the night and probably into the next day. The trouble was that it was so much easier to be sarcastic that to be sincere. When he only wanted to run her fingers through her hair, it felt safer to make some remark about how what a provincial style it was. If her clothing clung in all the right ways and he couldn't keep his eyes off her, it was so easy to say something snide about how few outfits she owned. When they were lying in bed together and she awoke while he was watching her sleep, instead of saying how beautiful she was he'd say that she needed to brush her hair.

It wasn't that he didn't try. He wouldn't admit it to Korra even on his deathbed, but he'd spent time watching himself in a mirror trying to find a way to convincingly say the sincere compliments that were constantly in his mind. The trouble was that he wasn't a sincere person. The flippant attitude that he'd cultivated so carefully was incredibly inappropriate for a romance. Even the lines that he carefully composed and rehearsed in the mirror sounded painfully stiff and artificial. No matter how badly he wanted to say them, the admiring words in his mind twisted into the spiteful criticisms that came from his mouth. That wasn't the way that a man should talk to the woman he loved.

He'd been heartsick for the longest time. She took his words and brushed them off, but there was always that small hurt in her eyes when she looked up at him. There was no way that she'd keep on taking this. She shouldn't have to keep taking this. She deserved so much better. He spent sleepless nights watching her, wondering if there was any way he could show her what he felt even if he couldn't say it. Then one day he'd made an offhand remark about her hair and she responded with one about how he should use less gel next time. His head had snapped around, and when he saw the cocky smile on her face he grinned from ear to ear. He told her that she should think about finding the yuans for a decent shirt and she replied that his was a little tight, had he put on some weight?

She came up to him, placing a hand on his chest and dropping a kiss on his chin. He rested his hands cautiously on her hips, wondering if this could really be happening. The hurt was gone from her eyes. From the way she was still smiling, he thought that she'd found the game. He ventured forth a comment that she'd lost some muscle, and there wasn't even a pause before she was assuring him she'd have to lose much more before he could out-lift her. He kissed her exuberantly, and she was kissing him back, laughing against his mouth as she pulled him down to her with a new fire.

He'd probably never forget the first time her friends had heard them speaking like this. The shocked looks on their faces had been so comical that Korra had nearly burst out laughing right there. Sometimes when she wasn't expecting it, he put on that same expression of outrage and embarrassment, just to make her smile. When he talked to her, he was able to pour out all the compliments and admiration that he could never say outright. He hid it behind the insults, and told her, 'You're beautiful. Magnificent. I could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve you.' Then she could smile up at him and place a gentle hand on his cheek, hearing the words behind his words. 'I love you.'


End file.
